Topics
AdvancedLoanwords & Borrowing
How Spanish, English and Chinese adopt and adapt words from other languages.
Compare languages
English is a lexical sponge with massive borrowing from French, Latin, and Norse. Spanish borrows from Arabic, Indigenous American languages, and increasingly from English. Chinese creates calques and phonetic loans, often with semantic adaptation.
Overview
Loanwords are words borrowed from one language into another. Languages differ in their openness to borrowing and their strategies for adaptation.
- Spanish: Historically borrowed heavily from Arabic (alcalde, azúcar, almohada), Indigenous languages (chocolate, tomate, canoa), and increasingly from English (software, marketing, parking). The Real Academia Española monitors and sometimes proposes Hispanicized alternatives.
- English: Has borrowed massively from French (after 1066), Latin, Greek, Norse, and virtually every language it has encountered. Often retains the original spelling and sometimes pronunciation.
- Chinese: Prefers calques (semantic translation) over phonetic loans for formal vocabulary. Phonetic loans exist but are often semantically adapted or narrowed. Dialectal variation is significant (Cantonese vs Mandarin loans).
Spanish
Arabic loans (hispanoárabes)
Over 4,000 Arabic words entered Spanish during Al-Andalus. Many begin with al-:
| Spanish | Arabic origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| alcalde | al-qāḍī | mayor |
| almohada | al-muẖādda | pillow |
| azúcar | as-sukkar | sugar |
| arroz | ar-ruzz | rice |
| naranja | nāranj | orange |
| aceite | az-zayt | oil |
| ojalá | law šā’ allāh | God willing |
| hasta | ḥatta | until |
Indigenous American loans
| Spanish | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| chocolate | Nahuatl xocolātl | chocolate |
| tomate | Nahuatl tomatl | tomato |
| patata | Taíno batata | potato |
| canoa | Taíno kanoa | canoe |
| huracán | Taíno juracán | hurricane |
| pampa | Quechua | plain |
| llama | Quechua | llama |
English loans (anglicismos)
| Spanish | English source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| software | software | widely accepted |
| marketing | marketing | widely accepted |
| parking | parking | LatAm; estacionamiento preferred in formal |
| jogging | jogging | trote preferred by RAE |
| link | link | enlace preferred by RAE |
| email / correo-e | correo electrónico in formal | |
| fan | fan | aficionado is native equivalent |
| boss | boss | jefe is native equivalent |
RAE adaptation policy
The Real Academia Española often proposes Hispanicized forms:
- whisky → güisqui (unused)
- parking → aparcamiento/estacionamiento
- email → correo electrónico
- blog → bitácora (rare)
Note: Anglicisms are widely used in speech and tech contexts despite RAE recommendations.
Phonetic adaptation
English words are adapted to Spanish phonology:
- sándwich (NOT sandwich — Spanish stress and spelling)
- yogur (yogurt)
- fútbol (football)
- béisbol (baseball)
- champú (shampoo)
- mártir (martyr — from Latin via Greek)
English
French loans (post-1066)
The Norman Conquest flooded English with French vocabulary:
| English | French origin | Native English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| beef | boeuf | cow (meat vs animal distinction) |
| pork | porc | pig |
| mutton | mouton | sheep |
| venison | venaison | deer |
| court | cour | — |
| judge | juge | — |
| parliament | parlement | — |
| government | gouvernement | — |
Note: French-origin words often carry formal or official connotations; native Germanic words are often more basic.
Latin loans (learned)
Renaissance and scholarly borrowings:
| English | Latin origin |
|---|---|
| education | educatio |
| structure | structura |
| idea | idea |
| data | datum |
| video | video (I see) |
| audio | audio (I hear) |
Greek loans (scientific)
| English | Greek origin |
|---|---|
| telephone | tēle + phōnē |
| photography | phōs + graphein |
| biology | bios + logos |
| psychology | psukhē + logos |
Other languages
| Source | Examples |
|---|---|
| Norse (Viking) | sky, egg, skirt, window, they, them, their |
| Dutch | boss, cookie, yacht, wagon |
| Hindi | shampoo, bungalow, pajamas, thug |
| Arabic | alcohol, algebra, coffee, magazine, tariff |
| Chinese | tea, typhoon, ketchup, tofu, kowtow, kung fu |
| Japanese | tsunami, karaoke, sushi, emoji, tycoon |
| German | kindergarten, angst, deli (delicatessen), wanderlust |
| Yiddish | bagel, klutz, glitch, schmooze |
Doublets
English often has pairs from the same source via different routes:
| Native/Germanic | French/Latin |
|---|---|
| cow | beef |
| pig | pork |
| house | mansion |
| ask | inquire |
| kingly | royal |
| time | temporal |
| holy | sacred |
Calques (translation loans)
- superman (from German Übermensch)
- worldview (from German Weltanschauung)
- honeymoon (calque of various European terms)
- skyscraper (calqued into many languages)
Chinese
Calques (semantic loans)
Chinese strongly prefers calques for formal vocabulary:
| English | Chinese calque | Literal |
|---|---|---|
| computer | 电脑 | electric brain |
| computer | 计算机 | counting machine |
| telephone | 电话 | electric speech |
| internet | 互联网 | interconnected net |
| software | 软件 | soft item |
| hardware | 硬件 | hard item |
| laser | 激光 | stimulated light |
| laser | 雷射 (Taiwan) | thunder shoot |
| astronaut | 宇航员 | universe sailor |
| democracy | 民主 | people-rule |
| science | 科学 | branch-learning |
Phonetic loans
| English | Chinese phonetic | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| coffee | 咖啡 | very common |
| sofa | 沙发 | common |
| taxi | 出租车 (calque) / 的士 (HK/Taiwan) | regionally varies |
| bus | 公共汽车 (calque) / 巴士 (HK) | |
| sandwich | 三明治 | common |
| chocolate | 巧克力 | common |
| copy | 拷贝 (technical) / 复印 (general) | |
| microphone | 麦克风 (slang) / 话筒 (formal) |
Semantic narrowing
Phonetic loans often narrow in meaning:
- 派对 (pàiduì = party): social party only, not political party (政党)
- 沙发 (sofa): furniture only, not metaphorical use
Japanese loans
Many modern Chinese terms are re-imported Japanese calques of Western concepts:
| Chinese | Japanese origin | Western concept |
|---|---|---|
| 革命 | kakumei | revolution |
| 经济 | keizai | economy |
| 社会 | shakai | society |
| 哲学 | tetsugaku | philosophy |
| 共产 | kyōsan | communism |
Dialectal variation
Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taiwanese Hokkoin often have different loans:
| English | Mandarin | Cantonese | Taiwanese |
|---|---|---|---|
| bus | 公共汽车 | 巴士 | 公车 |
| taxi | 出租车 | 的士 | 计程车 |
| sandwich | 三明治 | 三文治 | 三明治 |
Comparison at a glance
| Strategy | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phonetic loan | Common for tech (software) | Very common (shampoo) | Common for food/brands (咖啡) |
| Calque (semantic loan) | Rare | Moderate (superman) | Very common (电脑, 互联网) |
| Native coinage | RAE alternatives (bitácora) | Native + borrowed coexist | Preferred official strategy |
| Script adaptation | Latin alphabet | Latin alphabet | Characters repurposed |
| Source languages | Arabic, Indigenous, English | French, Latin, Greek, all | Japanese, English, Sanskrit |
Examples in context
Computer
- ES: computadora / ordenador
- EN: computer
- ZH: 电脑 / 计算机
Coffee
- ES: café
- EN: coffee
- ZH: 咖啡
Internet
- ES: internet
- EN: internet
- ZH: 互联网
Common mistakes
-
Spanish speakers learning English: I am very actual → I am very current / topical (actual = real in English)
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Estoy embarazada → embarazada = pregnant (NOT embarrassed = avergonzada)
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Using 伊妹儿 for formal email → 电子邮件 (formal) vs 伊妹儿 (slang)
-
Chinese speakers learning English: I want to buy a sofa — correct, but may not know “sofa” is already a loan from Arabic via English
Related topics
- False Friends: How cognates diverge in meaning
- Formal vs Informal: How register affects loanword choice
- Word Formation: How new words are created
- Apposition: How borrowed titles work
Examples
Computer
computadora (LatAm) / ordenador (Spain) — from English
Coffee
café — from Arabic qahwa
Typhoon
tifón — from Chinese/Arabic via Greek
Shampoo
champú — from English
Internet
internet — direct borrowing
Sandwich
sándwich — phonetic adaptation
Mobile phone
celular (LatAm) / móvil (Spain) — from Latin
Boss
jefe — from Arabic al-khādim (via Latin) / el boss (slang)
Examples
Computer
computer — from Latin computare
Coffee
coffee — from Arabic via Turkish/Dutch
Typhoon
typhoon — from Chinese taifeng via Arabic/Greek
Shampoo
shampoo — from Hindi cā̃po
Internet
internet — from inter + network
Sandwich
sandwich — from Earl of Sandwich
Mobile phone
cell phone / mobile phone
Boss
boss — from Dutch baas
Examples
Computer
电脑 (calque: electric brain) / 计算机 (calque: counting machine)
Coffee
咖啡 — phonetic loan from English
Typhoon
台风 — native compound
Shampoo
洗发水 (calque: wash-hair water) / 香波 (dated phonetic)
Internet
互联网 (calque: interconnected net)
Sandwich
三明治 — phonetic loan / 夹心面包 (calque)
Mobile phone
手机 (hand machine) / 移动电话 (mobile phone)
Boss
老板 (old board — traditional) / 博士 (used for PhD; not boss)
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer | computadora (LatAm) / ordenador (Spain) — from English | computer — from Latin computare | 电脑 (calque: electric brain) / 计算机 (calque: counting machine) |
| Coffee | café — from Arabic qahwa | coffee — from Arabic via Turkish/Dutch | 咖啡 — phonetic loan from English |
| Typhoon | tifón — from Chinese/Arabic via Greek | typhoon — from Chinese taifeng via Arabic/Greek | 台风 — native compound |
| Shampoo | champú — from English | shampoo — from Hindi cā̃po | 洗发水 (calque: wash-hair water) / 香波 (dated phonetic) |
| Internet | internet — direct borrowing | internet — from inter + network | 互联网 (calque: interconnected net) |
| Sandwich | sándwich — phonetic adaptation | sandwich — from Earl of Sandwich | 三明治 — phonetic loan / 夹心面包 (calque) |
| Mobile phone | celular (LatAm) / móvil (Spain) — from Latin | cell phone / mobile phone | 手机 (hand machine) / 移动电话 (mobile phone) |
| Boss | jefe — from Arabic al-khādim (via Latin) / el boss (slang) | boss — from Dutch baas | 老板 (old board — traditional) / 博士 (used for PhD; not boss) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer | computadora (LatAm) / ordenador (Spain) — from English | computer — from Latin computare | 电脑 (calque: electric brain) / 计算机 (calque: counting machine) |
| Coffee | café — from Arabic qahwa | coffee — from Arabic via Turkish/Dutch | 咖啡 — phonetic loan from English |
| Typhoon | tifón — from Chinese/Arabic via Greek | typhoon — from Chinese taifeng via Arabic/Greek | 台风 — native compound |
| Shampoo | champú — from English | shampoo — from Hindi cā̃po | 洗发水 (calque: wash-hair water) / 香波 (dated phonetic) |
| Internet | internet — direct borrowing | internet — from inter + network | 互联网 (calque: interconnected net) |
| Sandwich | sándwich — phonetic adaptation | sandwich — from Earl of Sandwich | 三明治 — phonetic loan / 夹心面包 (calque) |
| Mobile phone | celular (LatAm) / móvil (Spain) — from Latin | cell phone / mobile phone | 手机 (hand machine) / 移动电话 (mobile phone) |
| Boss | jefe — from Arabic al-khādim (via Latin) / el boss (slang) | boss — from Dutch baas | 老板 (old board — traditional) / 博士 (used for PhD; not boss) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
Computer
Spanish
computadora (LatAm) / ordenador (Spain) — from English
English
computer — from Latin computare
Chinese
电脑 (calque: electric brain) / 计算机 (calque: counting machine)
Coffee
Spanish
café — from Arabic qahwa
English
coffee — from Arabic via Turkish/Dutch
Chinese
咖啡 — phonetic loan from English
Typhoon
Spanish
tifón — from Chinese/Arabic via Greek
English
typhoon — from Chinese taifeng via Arabic/Greek
Chinese
台风 — native compound
Shampoo
Spanish
champú — from English
English
shampoo — from Hindi cā̃po
Chinese
洗发水 (calque: wash-hair water) / 香波 (dated phonetic)
Internet
Spanish
internet — direct borrowing
English
internet — from inter + network
Chinese
互联网 (calque: interconnected net)
Sandwich
Spanish
sándwich — phonetic adaptation
English
sandwich — from Earl of Sandwich
Chinese
三明治 — phonetic loan / 夹心面包 (calque)
Mobile phone
Spanish
celular (LatAm) / móvil (Spain) — from Latin
English
cell phone / mobile phone
Chinese
手机 (hand machine) / 移动电话 (mobile phone)
Boss
Spanish
jefe — from Arabic al-khādim (via Latin) / el boss (slang)
English
boss — from Dutch baas
Chinese
老板 (old board — traditional) / 博士 (used for PhD; not boss)
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Historically borrowed heavily from Arabic (alcalde, azúcar, almohada), Indigenous languages (chocolate, tomate, canoa), and increasingly fro...
English: Has borrowed massively from French (after 1066), Latin, Greek, Norse, and virtually every language it has encountered. Often retains the ori...
Chinese: Prefers calques (semantic translation) over phonetic loans for formal vocabulary. Phonetic loans exist but are often semantically adapted or...
Key concepts compared: Computer, Coffee, Typhoon.
Last updated: June 4, 2026